infrastructure in the northeast -- we are still reeling from the effects of sandy. the pleas of governors like tie, allcuomo, and chrsite are calling us to focus on infrastructure not only needed in a devastated northeast but to understand the importance of infrastructure investment. clearly, people need to go back to work. that is something positive that we all agree on that can be done and should be done but as we noticed today, there are no votes on the united states congress and the house of representatives today. we also agree, and emphasize this again, as did gene sperling -- everyone, and we mean everyone, should get $250,000 ineveryone -- and so that means that even billionaires get that first $250,000. and everyone is in agreement -- the republicans do not want to see the middle class go without this tax cut. so where we disagree, let us push that off. where we agree, let's embrace. further, we discussed again the long term effects of our deficit, which are directly tied to health care -- the work that has been done in the congress as it relates to construc